Folding chair.



A. S. KINNER & M. H. PAINE,

FOLDING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1910.

1,148,905. Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

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FOLDING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12. 1910.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

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UNITE snares Paras orrro ALBERT s. KINNER Ann MATHEW H. YPAINE, or GLENELLYN, rL'L NoIs, ASSIGNORS TO HEYWOOD BROTHERS AND WAKEFIELD COMPANY, or woaossrna, MASSACHU- SETTS, A ooarosnrrolv or NEWHJERSEY.

FOLDING CHAIR.

To all whom it may concern:

1 Be it known that we, ALBERT S.-K1NN R and MATHEW H. PAINE, both citizens of the United States, residing at Glenellyn, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Chairs, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings, forming a part of the same.

Our present invention relates to improvements in the construction of folding chairs, used in opera chairs, school seats and similar articles in which the seatis arranged to lift and is hinged to the framework of the chair, and the object of our invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive method of constructing the framework of the chair from individual strips of wrought or rolled metal T-shaped in cross section. This object is accomplished by means of the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents in perspective view a chair embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the rocking seat supporting arms. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the frictional connection between the rocking seat supporting arm and the framework of the chair. Fig. 5 is a detachedperspective view of the bracket to which one of the seat supporting arms is attached. Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of the friction clamp for holding the seat supporting arm. Fig. 7 is a detached perspective view of the seat supporting arm. Fig. 8 is a top view of one of the chair feet," the chairfleg being shown in sectional view on the plane of the broken line '88, Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a rear view of a portion of the back frame. Fig. 10 is a top view of the same shown in section on the plane of the broken line 1010, Fig. 9. Fig. 11 represents the T-shaped strip which is bent to form one side of the chair frame. Fig. 12 represents the T- shaped strip in the form in which it is delivered from the rolling mill. Fig. 13 is a side view of our improved chair. F igL' 14 is a plan view shown in section on the lane of the broken line 14E14, Fig. 13. Fig. '15 is a detached perspective view of one of the sheet metal brackets for supporting one end v i Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 12, 1910. Serial No. 554,915.

Patented Aug. 3,1915.

of thefoot rail. Fig. 16 represents a port on of the chair leg, showing the recessed sldesto receive the foot rail bracket. Fig.

17 is a view ofaportion of the frame with i a bracket for holding the foot rail attached thereto. Flg. 18 is a plan view of one of the foot rail brackets attached to the chair leg, which is shown in transverse sectional view. Fig. 19 is a detached view of a portion of the framework shown partly in section and illustrating the construction. of the chair frame. Fig. 20 is a transverse sectional view through the chair backon the tional view of the same on the plane of the broken line 22-22, Fig. 21.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1, 1 denote the two sides of the chair frame, which are substantially identical in construction and are each formed from a single strip of sheet metal rolled in a continuous length and T-shaped in cross section, the stem of the T consisting of a longitudinal rib In the construction of one side of the cha1r frame, a single strip, shown at 3, Fig. 12, and'provided on one side with the longitudinal rib 2, is cut the proper-length for the completed chair frame.

Near the central section of the strip 3 a short section of the rib 2 is cut away to form a notch, as shown at 4, Fig. 11, to enable the strip to be bentupon itself by a semicircular bend to form the chair back, as shown at 5, Figs. 1 and 13. Upon each side of the notch l the longitudinal rib is upon itself at 5, the edges 7, 7 will come in contact, as shown at 8, Fig. 13, formingrecesses in which the edgesofa woodenback 9 are inserted, as shown in sectional view in Fig. 20. The, metal strip is then bent at 10 into a substantially horizontal position to form a support for the arm 11. It is again bent at substantially right anglesat 3 12 and extended downward to form the front leg 13, the V-shaped notch 14:, Fig. 11,

having been formed in the rib 2 to formthe miter joint 15.. The rear portion of the strip is extended downward, as shown at 16,

Fig. 13, giving the properinclination to the back of the chair until the plane of the seat is reached, where the stripis bent at 17 and extended vertically downward to form the rear leg 18 of the chair. The front and rear legs 13 and 18 are united by brackets 19 having their ends riveted or bolted to the chair legs.

. At, the point of the bend 10, Fig. 19,,be-

tween the back and arm, the longitudinal rib 2 is split, as shown at 2.0, Fig. 11, so that the process of bending the strip will open the longitudinal rib and form a tapered 7 prong 21, the end of which. is passed through an opening-in the rearward portion of the strip and is riveted .or headed uponitheback side of thechair, asshown at 22, thereby locking the front and rear portions of the frame togther'on the plane of the arm supports 23. The brackets 19, one ofwhich is shown inv perspective View in Fig. 5,. are provided with: central concave recesses 24, each recess being in the form of a spherical segment. Held against the 1nner sides of the brackets 19 are rocking .seatsupporting arms 25, preferably shaped from sheet metal, and each having. a spherical segmental recess. 26, adapting the said arm to fit the corresponding recess in the tab bracket19. The arms 25 are held in place by means of a friction clamp 27, shown in perspective view in Fig. 6, and having a spherical segmental recess 28 fitting the corresponding recess in the arm 25.

One end of the friction clamp 27 is provided. with a right angled flange 29 having prongsv 30. The flange 29 is adapted. to pass through a recess 31 in the lower edge of the bracket 19, with the prongs 30,

engaging the] inside of the bracket. The

upper end of the friction clamp 27 is pro- 26 and28 forming friction surfaces to resist the rocking motion of the seat arms 25, and the amount of friction exerted can be varied by loosening or tightening the bolt 32. The curved slot 33in the seat arm 25 limits the rocking movement of the. arm. The two. seat-arms 25 are united by a wooden or. sheet metal seat34 The two metal frames forming the sides of the chair are connected by the seat and also by the wooden back 9, the edges of which are attached to the clips 35, each of which consists of a single piece of sheet metal which is inserted through mortises 36, 36' in the back of the frame. 7

The crown portion of the T-shapedstrips is cut, away on-Q opposite sides to form notches, as shown at 37, 37, Fig. 16, in order to reduce its width and allow thev flanged edges 38 of afoot rail supporting bracket 39 to be inserted. Immediately below the notches 37 the crown portion of the frame is tapered, as shown at 40, 40, Fig. 16, to receive the flanged edges 38 and support the bracket 39 in which the foot rail41rests. Brackets similar to 39 are similarly attached to the rear legs of the chair at 42, in order to support a connecting back rail 43. The lower ends of the chair legs rest upon plates 44,*Fig; 8, which extend trans- The plates 44 are bent upwardly at 45 1 against the crown portion of the leg, to which they are attached by rivets 46.

The flanges 29 of the friction clamps 27 also serve as stops to limitthe downward movement of the. seat by their contact with i the shoulders 47 of the seat arms 25 thereby'providing a rigid support for theseat. The tapered prongs 21, by which the front and. rear of the side frames are united, are

inserted. in notched openings 48, Fig. 11,

of the spring 50 is attached to a bolt 51. held in the arm 25. The bolt .51 also serves to hold in place a plate; 52 which serves as. a cover for the spring 50. The plate 52 has a flange 53 on its lower edge which bears against the side of the arm 25-and is provided with a spur or prong 54 passing J:

through a small opening in the arm 25.

We make no claim herein to the above described construction of seat hinge, the same being fully described and claimed in our filed May 15, 1914,w hich is a division of the present application.

We claim, 7 1. A chair comprising a ing a longitudinal web, said strip being folded upon itself near the central portion thereof to bring the web portions of the sidesof said fold into co'6perating contact for a predetermined distance to form a groove adapted to receive the edge of a chair back, the extensionof one side of said fold .copending application Serial No. 838,856, I

side framemade from a slngleintegral strip of metal havprojecting'downwardly to form a rear leg, the base of which is constitutedby one end of the, strip, the extension of the other side of said fold being projected: laterally to form an. arm rest and downwardly from the forward end of said arm rest to form a front leg, the base of which is constituted by the other end of the strip.

2. In a chair, a side frame made from a single integral strip of metal having a longitudinal rib, the rib, being notched near the central portion of the strip and the strip folded upon itself at this point, said rib being reduced in height fora predetermined longitudinal distance on each side of said notch, with said portions of reduced height brought into opposing relation to form, with the web portions of the two sides of the fold, a recess for a chair back, the extension of one side of said fold projecting downwardly to form a rear leg, and the extension of the other side of said fold projecting laterally to form an arm rest and downwardly from the forward end of said arm rest to form a front leg.

3. In a chair, a side frame consisting of a single integral strip having a longitudinal rib, folded upon itself to form avsupport for a chair back, the extension'of one side of said fold being bent laterally to form an arm support, with the rib severed obliquely at the point of bend to provide a projecting prong, said prong being entered and held in the rib portion of the extension of the other side of said fold.

4. In a chair, a side frame consisting ofv a single integral strip, having a longitudinal rib, a portion of said strip being folded upon itself to bring the ribportions of the sides of said fold into cooperating contact, forming a support for a chair back, one of the sides of said fold being extended downwardly to form a rear leg, and the other side of said fold being extended laterally to form an arm rest and downwardly from the forward end of said arm rest to form a front leg.

5. In a chair, a side frame consisting of a single integral strip of metal, having a longitudinal rib, the rib of said strip being reduced in height for a portion of its length and the strip being doubled upon itselficos extensive with this portion, to bring the reduced ribs of opposite sides of said doubled portion into cooperating contact, forming a support for a chair back, the extension of one side of said doubled portion being bent laterally to form an arm rest, with the rib of said laterally bent portion overlapping the rib of the extension of the other side of said doubled portion.

6. In a chair, a side frame consisting of a single integral strip, having a longitudinal rib, said strip being folded upon itself to form a support for a chair back, the extension of one side of said fold being bent laterally to form, an arm rest, with the rib severed obliquely at the point of bend to provide a projecting prong overlapping the rib of the extension of the other side of said fold, and means for securing said prong to the extension of the other side of said fold.

,7. In a chair, a side frame consisting of a single integral strip, having a longitudinal rib, a portion of said strip being folded upon itself to bring the'rib portions of the sides of said fold into cooperating contact, forming a support for a chair back, one side of, said fold being extended downwardly to form a rear leg, and the extension of the other side of said fold being bent laterally to form an arm rest and then downwardly to form a front leg, the said sides being secured rigidly together adjacent the point of lateral bend.

19Dated this thirtieth (30th) day of March ALBERT S. KINNER; MATHEW H. PAINE.

Witnesses:

CALVIN H. HILL, SAMUEL SAILOR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

It is hereby certified that the residence of the assignee in Letters Patent No.

1,148,905, granted August 3, 1915, upon the application of Albert S. Kinner and Mathew H. Paine, of Glenellyn, Illinois, for an improvement in Folding Chairs, was erroneously Written and printed as Worcester, Massachusetts, Whereas said residence should have been Written and printed as Gardner, Massachusetts; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the 'Patent Ofiice. Signed and sealed this 7th day of September, A. D., 1915.

[SEAL] J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

